Insulation I

Nonwovens offer high potential for damping noise and vibration. Combining nonwovens with solid materials and other layers of the same material base are ideal for high quality products and for recycling purposes.

Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) is a convenient screening method for assessing the suitability of alternate insulation binders for further process development. This information-rich technique reveals important information regarding the binder's cure onset temperature, curing rate (kinetics), cure completion, tensile strength and its eventual degradation. DMA can also provide clues about a binder's pre-curing potential and the impact of a catalyst on its curing rate. The author will give specific examples of the utility of this unique thermal analysis tool.

This paper will outline the valid issues concerning water damage and dampness in buildings. The degree that these issues are known to derive from mold colonization, that is, growth of mold, on construction and finishing materials will be outlined. The known effects of mold colonization are biodeterioration (rot) and presumably driving the health effects associated with occupancy in damp buildings. The evidence for rot is unequivocal; the evidence for health effects due to mold colonization indoors is variable. Mold allergens are common and their impact widely accepted. Other mold-produced products are irritants and can affect the immune system. Toxin production is incompletely understood and the effect controversial.

The issues surrounding moisture in building materials, such as condensation in envelope walls have long been recognized, solutions often have been developed and mold growth indoors is readily preventable. Building science research in the 1930s and 1940s recognized and addressed the moisture issues associated with the widespread adoption of insulation in exterior walls in cold climates. Further introduction of newer building materials since the mid 20th century have created new moisture problems, but these were not always addressed. New building designs and assembly techniques also have not always considered impacts on moisture. This is especially true of the widespread introduction of air-conditioning in humid climates, although the same building science principles apply. An integrated, proactive approach to moisture in building components is feasible, and is an effective and economical manner of rendering moot the rot and health complaints associated with mold growth indoors.